Bling dummies are a potentially deadly choking hazard, fashion-conscious mothers have been warned.

Trading Standards officers are concerned the popular pacifiers - customised with stick-on diamante - could putting thousands of babies at risk.

Officers seized a stash of the dummies from a trader operating in Rutherglen Shopping Centre, near Glasgow, after similar products failed safety tests carried out by watchdogs nationwide.

Risky: Stick-on diamante could come loose when washed and a baby could swallow it

Jim Stirling, South Lanarkshire Council’s environmental services manager, said: 'The dummies seized by us are genuine dummies manufactured by a reputable company, but hand-glued gems have been added as decoration, and it is this addition which makes them potentially unsafe.

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'When the dummy is cleaned, the glue used to attach the gems can soften, the gems loosen and may pose a choking hazard.'

Personalised: 'Bling baby bottles' have also become a craze for stylish parents

Mr Stirling urged any parent or carer who may have bought one of the dummies to stop using it immediately.

He added: 'These items are being sold both on the street and online and the potential customer base could be pretty extensive.

'There are many, I am sure, who would find these products attractive or distinctive, not thinking at all of the potential danger to the child.

'The bottom line is that these items are not fit for purpose, and should be avoided at all costs.'

A statement from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said it had noticed a worrying new trend emerging among parents who are opting to use 'bling dummies' to soothe their children - and are accessorising further with 'bling clips' or 'bling bottles'.

It agreed that adding decoration to dummies can create a choking hazard.